Anmaat (IRE). (Megan Rose Photography)
Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series Berths on the Line June 17-19 at Royal Ascot
Breeders’ Cup Release
ASCOT, Berkshire, England – A clash between England, France, and Ireland’s best older horses looms Wednesday in the £1 million Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot, with the field vying for a free berth in the $5 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In.
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 93 stakes races in 15 countries whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California.
Four Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races highlight the Royal Ascot meeting. The action kicks off Tuesday, with the £750,000 Queen Anne Stakes (G1) at a mile for 4-year-olds and up offering an automatic starting position in the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) and the £650,000 King Charles III Stakes (G1) at 5 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up awarding an automatic starting position in $1 million Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1). In addition to Wednesday’s 1 1/4-mile Prince of Wales’s Stakes for 4-year-olds and up, Thursday’s Norfolk Stakes (G2) for 2-year-olds going 5 furlongs is an automatic qualifier for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1).
Clash Of Clans in Prince of Wales’s
Los Angeles (IRE) arrives at Royal Ascot off the back of two hard fought victories in the May 25 Tattersalls Gold Cup (G1) and May 5 Mooresbridge Stakes (G2) at The Curragh for Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, and Westerberg. After being beaten 6 lengths by City of Troy in last year’s Epsom Derby (G1), he secured his place in Classic history with success in the Irish Derby (G1).
Britain launches a strong resistance to the Ballydoyle behemoth, led by Shadwell Estate Company Limited’s Anmaat (IRE). The Owen Burrows-trained 7-year-old Awtaad (IRE) gelding finished just half a length behind Los Angeles in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, and his trainer reckons he’s come on since then. He has course and distance form in the QIPCO Champion Stakes, which he won on British Champions Day at Ascot on soft ground last year.
“We have been very pleased with him since his run in Ireland,” Burrows said. “He just obviously got a little bit tired the last 50 yards, but he’s taken a nice step forward since then, so I’m looking forward to him running. We currently are keeping an eye on the ground as such because if it was quite quick, we would need a conversation. But we will see what it’s like today and on the first day. There was some rain at the weekend which is a big positive for us.”
The French have a good chance with the third choice, Wathnan Racing’s Map of Stars (GB).The Francis-Henri Graffard-trained 4-year-old was beaten a neck by a fellow son of Sea The Stars, Sosie (IRE), last time out in the April 27 Prix Ganay (G1), his first shot at the top level. The French trainer will be more determined than ever after he finished a desperately close second in the race last year with Calandagan (IRE).
A late £70,000 supplementary entry in the form of See The Fire (GB), the only filly in the race, poses an interesting threat to the top three in the market. Jeff Smith’s 4-year-old daughter of Sea The Stars comes off the back of an astounding 12-length victory in the Middleton Fillies’ Stakes (G2) at York in May. Ridden by Oisin Murphy and trained by Andrew Balding, See The Fire will need a career best on Wednesday.
Balding thinks the conditions are in her favor and said: “She’s a filly we think a lot of and was hugely impressive in the Middleton last time, which suggested that she’s capable of another level. Her work ever since has been excellent so given the prospect of fast ground we just felt it was a risk worth taking to supplement her and hopefully she’ll be worth running a big race. America is a long way but it’s certainly a possibility. We’ve got a lot of racing to do before then.”
As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders’ Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the Prince of Wales’s Stakes to start in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1). Breeders’ Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of California to compete in the World Championships.
